
A surge in cartel-driven violence has prompted the U.S. consulate to issue its highest-level travel warning for Tamaulipas, Mexico. Americans are now urged to avoid the region entirely as reports of shootouts, kidnappings and roadside bombs increase. Officials warn that U.S. citizens in the area should not expect emergency assistance.
The violence is not contained to Mexico. In California, a group of hikers was caught in the crossfire near the Moon Valley Trailhead in the Jacumba Mountains. Suspected cartel gunmen fired at the group, injuring one hiker before fleeing across the border. The remote location, with no significant security infrastructure, provided an easy escape route.
Texas has also become a battleground. A shootout with cartel members erupted in Fronton when gunmen opened fire on Border Patrol agents from across the Rio Grande. Agents returned fire and called for reinforcements, but the attack underscores how cartels are now brazenly challenging U.S. law enforcement.
Adding to the instability, authorities in Tamaulipas have discovered explosive devices planted along key roads. Warnings have been issued advising people not to touch unidentified objects, as cartels deploy increasingly aggressive tactics. The situation is worsening, with no signs of law enforcement regaining control.
While the US accelerates deportations of people into Mexico's violent border state of Tamaulipas, the US consulate in Matamoros issues a travel warning, citing "increasingly frequent gun battles" and Iraq war-style "improvised explosive devices."https://t.co/DN2ehAQeh4 pic.twitter.com/bj2YFAkQSR
— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) January 28, 2025
The U.S. State Department has issued the highest-level travel warning for some Mexican towns next to the U.S.–Mexico border due to elevated risks over kidnappings, gun battles, and improvised explosives devices (IEDs).
A bulletin released by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in…
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) January 28, 2025
The crisis extends beyond the border, as Mexico’s political stability continues to unravel. The last election cycle saw an unusually high number of assassinations targeting political candidates, raising concerns that cartels are not only influencing elections but outright determining the winners through violence.
We need to get all our people out of Mexico and start moving personnel and gear down to the border in prep for war.
Time to stop playing!US consulate warns of gun battles, IEDs, kidnappings in Mexican border towns near Texashttps://t.co/djaEJBmJWx
— 🍊Big Maga Dave🍊 (@daverich503) January 28, 2025
🚨Alert: War with Mexican Cartels is Coming!! United States Consulate General in Matamoros has issued Level 4 Alert – Do Not Travel in the following locations: Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico” @USCGMatamoros
The report also highlights… pic.twitter.com/VR7w6zhc9A
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) January 28, 2025
With Mexico struggling to control its own territory and cartel influence spilling into the U.S., the question is no longer whether this violence can be ignored, but how much longer it will be tolerated.